Brian: 0:11

All right, well, welcome back to the Vero Beach podcast. This is part three of our interview here with Charlotte from the Waldo Secret Garden.

Charlotte: 0:19

Hello again.

Brian: 0:19

A couple things I forgot to ask during the first two. I heard something just bang out the door. Okay, I just heard it too. So I'm like, yes.

Charlotte: 0:26

Nobody's in the house. Do we need to investigate? I'm hoping it's like a ghost and not an animal that's found its way.

Brian: 0:33

Well, if that was-back there.

Charlotte: 0:35

Oh, did it? Okay.

Brian: 0:35

That was a pretty loud bang. If that was an animal, it's probably a Bigfoot. I just heard it again. That's pretty interesting.

Charlotte: 0:41

It's something else.

Brian: 0:42

Yes, there's gotta be something else. All right. Well, let's talk about uh the place that we're sitting in right now. I had a the first question is what is this above us?

Charlotte: 0:51

So this this area is the downstairs kitchen and it's for entertaining. Upstairs is the living quarters. Oh so this is actually a bedroom above that I turned into like a sitting area for the brides and a living room and a kitchen and a hallway. So there's restrooms everywhere upstairs that people can use and a really cool balcony for cocktail hours.

Brian: 1:11

Oh, very cool. Or whenever you like to drink, we don't judge it. Very cool, very cool. When we came here, you gave us a gift. Can you tell our audience what this is? It's very cool.

Charlotte: 1:22

Yes. So in we my dad and I live in Waldo's original homestead, and I found just a plethora of old original images from the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s.

Shawna: 1:33

Wow.

Charlotte: 1:34

And I gave you an image of what the entrance to the driftwood looked like when they very when it first was built.

Brian: 1:41

Wow, that's incredible.

Charlotte: 1:42

Very plain, and it was probably just the family's beach house still at that point before it was a hotel. But I get so excited because I'm like, everyone else needs these photos too. You can't get them anywhere else. Like these came out of Waldo's house. This is original.

Brian: 1:59

That is cool too. Like, and thank you so much. This is really cool to see this piece of history.

Charlotte: 2:04

It is.

Brian: 2:05

It's amazing. Tell me, what do you love most about Vero Beach?

Charlotte: 2:09

I think the encouragement and support. I mean, I could make one phone call or Facebook post that I just wanted a sandwich or I need help cleaning today, and people would come out and genuinely help. I mean, we saw it with the last hurricane, people cleaning each other's yards. It's truly what it's all about.

Brian: 2:28

Okay, so when you hear the word community, what comes to your mind?

Charlotte: 2:31

Word love just came in. And this one is extremely special. I mean, we don't have any crime barely. It's just everyone's just really taken care of here.

Shawna: 2:40

Yeah, we're really seeing that. The more people we're meeting and the more time that we spend here and see how people treat each other, it is a special place.

Charlotte: 2:48

Yeah, and it's just really important to keep it that way. And I think it is. I think the people that we get moving here are aware of that and the same kind of people.

Brian: 2:55

Yeah, I agree. Tell us about some of your favorite places that you love here.

Charlotte: 2:59

Yeah, I'm trying to think. She's working all the time, so she doesn't get to be able to do that. I know anyways. Yeah, exactly. And then when I'm not doing that, like I'm really into dateline. And I guess anywhere on the beach, like I love going to Tribe Coffee right now. Oh, yeah, Tribe Coffee is so. They're awesome. It makes me feel like uh you're in like a little city. Anything that makes you feel just like you're the morning's gonna start off like a rom-com. Go do it. Head to Ocean Drive, go to Tribe Coffee, go wherever. But Riverside Park, Memorial Island, press for this. I don't really know what I do here. Okay, what would you do? We'll just keep talking about me.

Brian: 3:37

When people aren't bringing you food, do you ever go out to eat anywhere?

Charlotte: 3:40

Yes. Ocean Grill.

Brian: 3:42

Ocean Grill, okay.

Charlotte: 3:43

The Savers place. It's uh Venezuelan street food, really good. It's on Oslo. Love the Chinese place, Plum Tree. It's over on Oslo, also. And I don't know, I'm really drawing a blank. That's okay. Oh no, that's good. Yeah, I've really just been working here a ton and just trying to think what I can. I mean, even talking to you guys, I'm like, why gotta go to Home Depot after that? Oh yeah.

Brian: 4:06

You should send out a message that needs some things from Home Depot.

Charlotte: 4:09

Oh god, that would be fine.

Brian: 4:11

People go pick it up and bring it to you.

Charlotte: 4:12

They'd probably fix it for me. I love when people do stuff for me.

Brian: 4:15

That's cool. That's cool. Okay. Some of the uh events that you do here, do you have any like local musicians or vendors that you collaborate with for some of these events?

Charlotte: 4:25

Yeah, we have a ton of people, and I'm probably gonna leave someone out. Wildtime catering is always here. The barbecue joints, like 14 bones. I'm absolutely leaving out people, and I'm so sorry. That's why I always say we suggest people, but you can bring anybody in that you want to. Everyone's food is so good, they're so respectful, they know what they're doing. I mean, Vera's got really professional, awesome people too.

Brian: 4:49

Yeah, it the food in this in the community is amazing, and the music is incredible. Like there's so many great musicians, and you know, we did kind of put you on the spot. So anybody that you forgot, like just know, like we put her on the spot. She was not prepared to do that.

Charlotte: 5:02

I uh yeah, and I don't we don't have that many live bands, and I don't know a lot of people's names because I'm not the one booking them.

Brian: 7:03

So, Charlotte, your site mentions the charm of old Florida. Yes. So, how important is it for you to preserve that old Florida charm for future generations?

Charlotte: 7:13

It is extremely important, and while it's good to make improvements and update functional things, I just want it to stay old and older, and I want to have corridors of rooms where it's like a 50s room or an 80s, just things to keep every generation nostalgic.

Shawna: 7:30

Oh, I like that.

Charlotte: 7:30

You know, as you get older, it's true. I just like I'm I want butterfly clips in my hair. You know, you just you're seeking those things that made you happy when you were a kid.

Brian: 7:39

I love that. That's what would you say is the oldest piece here?

Charlotte: 7:44

You know, I don't know the oldest piece here, but I know we have really amazing antiques, like to the point where Southees could certainly come in.

Brian: 7:52

There's so much beautiful character here. I mean, again, I I don't know what those doors go to. What what those doors behind me over here by this little bar?

Charlotte: 7:59

Hide our sh stuff. A fan, a fancy way to hide our stuff. It's so smart.

Brian: 8:07

The history is just incredible. And I know there's so much more that we could that we're not covering.

Charlotte: 8:12

I'm totally left. I'm like out of blank, but I'll I get it. No, you've done awesome.

Brian: 8:17

And it just gets us excited to learn more about it. Yeah. How do you balance honoring the past but also embracing new ideas?

Charlotte: 8:25

I don't know, honestly. I think I can keep those two together because structurally everything can be repurposed here and reused with a new idea. Where the antique barn is right now, it was a mechanic shop, was then a flower shop, and now an antique barn. But the bones are good. So I can preserve those little pieces of it while updating.

Brian: 8:47

That's cool.

Shawna: 8:47

And really, you're honoring the history here by bringing new people all the time.

Brian: 8:52

Well, that is a cool thing, is even with new things that you're doing, you're educating people on the history. Like they're walking away with more than just an experience of having this event or visiting the antique barn. Yeah, they're walking away with a piece of this history with them for people that aren't planning a wedding. Like, I don't have a wedding, I don't have anybody getting married. Like, I nobody's inviting me to a wedding. Maybe, maybe you're a wedding crasher. I don't know. But maybe for those that don't have, like, they're not looking to come to a wedding, what are some ways they can come and experience this property?

Charlotte: 9:21

They can contact me, honestly, and I'll just give them a tour. But lately, the antiques have been a really good time. Well, because the property's open once a month for usually the first or second weekend for two days, 10 to 3, Saturday and Sunday, and people can just come and look nice and just browse themselves.

Brian: 9:39

Okay, cool. Awesome, awesome. Yeah.

Charlotte: 9:41

And I'm hoping one day I was trying. This is like another thing. I've got all these ideas, but like I would love to have people come out and propagate plants that they want because we have so many I'm covering Sarah's ears right now. Huge into plants. I'd love to help. Like, that'd be so cool. Because plants are expensive, and I've got a ton of them out here. Like a couple bucks, come propagate. It can be done. I would love to help you with that. Just the idea before it. Yeah. Great idea. Cool. That's an excellent idea.

Brian: 10:05

Well, Charlotte, we've really enjoyed having you on the podcast.

Charlotte: 10:07

Thank you guys so much. It was wonderful to meet you.

Brian: 10:09

Definitely great meeting you too. We're excited about getting the tool. Oh, well, thank you. So I'm gonna ask you one more question as we get ready to wrap up. What's your hope for the next chapter of Waldo's Secret Garden?

Charlotte: 10:21

I hope it is a self-sustaining property where people just come and experience really nice moments.

Brian: 10:29

That's great. I love that.

Charlotte: 10:30

And learn about history and learn about Waldo. Just find things they like and go home with a good feeling.

Brian: 10:36

I love it. Well, thanks again, Charlotte, for joining us. This has been awesome.

Charlotte: 10:40

Thank you.

Brian: 10:41

Yes, if you guys have enjoyed this podcast, make sure you leave us a review. And again, if you've been to Waldo Secret Garden and you have not left them a positive review yet, go and leave them a review on Google. Only if it's good, people like we don't need that. Yeah, yeah, no, no, no, we don't need that.

Charlotte: 10:55

Do it behind my back like a traditional person.

Brian: 10:59

With that, thank you guys for tuning in.

Shawna: 11:00

Thanks for listening, neighbor.